| Vince Burgio | |
| Nickname: | Plaza Vince |
| Residence: | West Hills, California, U.S. |
| Birth Place: | Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Wsop Bracelet Count: | 1 |
| Wsop Final Tables: | 7 |
| Wsop Money Finishes: | 28 |
| Wsop Main Event Best Finish Rank: | 4th |
| Wsop Main Event Best Finish Year: | 1994 |
| Wpt Titles: | None |
| Wpt Final Tables: | 1 |
| Wpt Money Finishes: | 1 |
Vincent Burgio (born) is an American professional poker player and writer.[1] A member of the Senior Poker Hall of Fame,[2] he was a columnist for Card Player Magazine and is the author of Pizza, Pasta and Poker and Inside Poker: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.[3] He is based in West Hills, California.[4]
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Burgio first learned to play poker at the age of eight, playing penny ante with his family at Christmas.[5] He is a graduate of the University of Missouri, and moved to California in 1976.
In 1987, Burgio sold his construction business to focus on playing in poker tournaments full-time.
Burgio came to note as the winner of best all-around player award at the 1992 Queens Poker Classic. By 1994, he held four titles from the classic, plus an Ace-to-Draw title from the Poker Hall of Fame.
Burgio won his first World Series of Poker in 1994, defeating 211 opponents for the title.[6] He won a WSOP bracelet in the Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo event, defeating a final table including both Howard "The Professor" Lederer and Jay Heimowitz. Burgio also made the final table of the $10,000 no limit hold'em main event that year, finishing in 4th place.[7] He also finished in the money of the Main Event in 1998.[8]
Burgio has made one World Poker Tour (WPT) final table, finishing 5th in the first season Gold Rush event won by Paul Darden.[9]
Burgio has also competed in numerous events of the Ultimate Poker Challenge and has won two events.[10] [11]
As of 2023, his total live tournament winnings exceed $2,200,000.[12]
Burgio wrote a regular column for CardPlayer Magazine. He was called "The Andy Rooney of Poker" for his coverage of "quirky" human interest stories.[13]
He has authored his autobiography entitled Pizza, Pasta and Poker: The Private & Public Life of a Professional Poker Player.
His wife, Debbie Burgio, supported his decision to become a full-time poker player. He has four grown daughters.